Putting Down CAB?

[MikeC]

Scroll down a little and Click on the Prime Beef 101 on the left side of the page. Not at the top. :roll:

Just above Prime Beef 201.

http://www.grill225.com/index1.cfm?CFID ... N=55638766

 

[sizmic]

See now, was all that really needed just because of one little detail in the instructions. I'm pretty sure we clicked on the one at the top of the page. Which in turn led to something different. :stop: and take a breath!

 

[3waycross]

The reality of what is in the cooler in most restuarants is this:

Only a FEW restuarants in the whole country spec Prime beef, and pay thru the nose for it, as do their clientele.

There are a lot of house(distributer) programs that market choice or top choice to restuarants. There are also a lot of Angus programs besides CAB

A lot of select is out there being passed off as choice mostly in the form of prime rib. Why?, because they can.

Everything else is called no roll, actually select is no roll but it has become more accepted lately.

Anything else is pretty much Bull---t

I'm pretty sure I know what I am talking about as I have sold well over a million lbs of boxed beef over the last 25 years.

I'm not trying to be a smarta$$ or a know it all just telling it as it is.

 

[Fred]

The only prime beef has to be graded by USDA inspectors. CAB and USDA quality grades are two different things. Don't need a restaurant web site to tell me that.

 

[3waycross]

One more note.

While I'm sure Chef Demetre is a great chef, He has a few of his facts mixed up.

First there is a lot of beef being sold in America's grocery stores that is better than commercial. Safeway even has a choice angus program.

I have been selling boxed beef for 25 years and the only thing I have aever seen labeled commercial is tenderloins for the low end steak houses.

Second The Distributers do not grade their own beef it is graded at the packing house, even if it is repacked it is never regraded.. This statement is pure bulls--t.

He is dead on about one thing though, wet aging is highly preferable to dry aging for a lot of reasons, less moisture loss, better flavor being the most important.

 

[bward]

Wet aged for 50 days? Can you imagine the slimey soup and smell that oozes out of the bags after that length of time? eeeuw. Who wants to open that in there kitchen?

 

[MikeC]

Wet aged for 50 days? Can you imagine the slimey soup and smell that oozes out of the bags after that length of time? eeeuw. Who wants to open that in there kitchen?

I've done it for 30 days and it's great. You've got to put it in a fridge that doesn't get opened much and maintains a constant 32-34 degrees.

Seems to work better on "Select" meat. My preference anyway.

 

[3waycross]

Wet aged for 50 days? Can you imagine the slimey soup and smell that oozes out of the bags after that length of time? eeeuw. Who wants to open that in there kitchen?

I have a customer "Steakhouse" who wet ages top sirloins for 60 days. When you open the cyrovac it stinks so bad it would knock a buzzard off a sh-t wagon. but 30 min later it is fine.
The only way it gets slimey or spoils is if there is a leak or pinhole in the cyrovac. the vacumn creates an anerobic environment (no air). So it doesn't spoil

 

[MissouriExile]

I read the web page too and I don't see anywhere that it says CAB is at best "choice". The packing houses I have been to have the CAB inspectors ahead of the USDA inspectors so even though a hanging carcass may grade CAB it might still make USDA PRIME!
Please refrain from the profanity and name calling.

Sizmic

Please forgive my ignorance but when a carcass is hanging how can the CAB inspector tell if it was black or not?

Seriously; would like to know.

Jon

 

[sizmic]

The places I have been have a team of CAB people starting at skinning. Each one looks for something required for CAB, there is a tag put on the carcass for the whole process. Final inspection is done right beside the USDA people. If it passes all the criteria it makes CAB.

Sizmic

 

[MikeC]

The places I have been have a team of CAB people starting at skinning. Each one looks for something required for CAB, there is a tag put on the carcass for the whole process. Final inspection is done right beside the USDA people. If it passes all the criteria it makes CAB.

Sizmic

Might I ask which places these are?

A "Team" of CAB people?

Final inspection is done right beside the USDA people?

 

[sizmic]

How many places have you been to, you're the "guru"? Yes there is a team of plant employees who are trained too CAB standards, and yes the CAB stamp goes right beside the USDA stamp.

 

[MikeC]

How many places have you been to, you're the "guru"? Yes there is a team of plant employees who are trained too CAB standards, and yes the CAB stamp goes right beside the USDA stamp.

Can't answer where?

First, they are a CAB "Team", then suddenly they are plant employees? :lol:

Be honest, have you ever seen the kill line/floor when a load of CAB calves come in?

 

[sizmic]

Yes, on a couple of trips to see my feeders in the yards out west, i stop by to check out the kill houses. most recently, Dennison Tyson and IBP. Do you follow your cattle that closely? I doubt it or we wouldn't be talking about this.

 

[MikeC]

Been to Emporia and Finney County.

But sure didn't know there were any IBP plants left.

 

[sizmic]

Not that I know of, Tyson took over the one in Dennison.

 

[Frankie]

Please forgive my ignorance but when a carcass is hanging how can the CAB inspector tell if it was black or not?

Seriously; would like to know.

Jon

When an animal is killed, plant employees trained in CAB specs decide if it meets the visual CAB criteria, hump, black, dairy influence, etc, before the hide comes off. If it does, the carcass is stamped or tagged and goes down a CAB-trained grader's line. The grader then decides if it meets the CAB grading standards. If it does, it gets the CAB stamp. All the carcasses going down his line will be eligible for the CAB stamp. But they don't get it until he grades them Mid-Choice or better.

 

[CSM]

Does the USDA grader see the live animal, the hanging animal with the hide on, or a hanging skinned animal with the hide off but on the line with the carcass? Or is the CAB trained employees of the plant making all the decision?

CSM

 

[sizmic]

Why does the USDA need to see the hide?

 

[ROB]

Why does the USDA need to see the hide?

a usda inspector is supposed to visually see the animal killed. thats one reason a lot of local butcher shops don't provide usda inspection. the calf has to be killed in the plant under supposed "more humane" conditions. not supposed to be killed in the trailer outside of the plant and drug in (although it occasionally happens). a lot of local butcher shops don't have room to allow for handling facilities - so they just kill on the farm. may be other reasons as well that USDA needs to see the hide (or live animal) that i'm not aware of.

ROB